Czech Cichlid Association secretary
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Proposals and standards for organizing competitions for fish of the genus Pterophyllum.
1. General conditions applicable to attending parties
Rights and responsibilities of the organizer of the competition
The organizer of the competition: The organizer is responsible for everything related to the completion to the full extent. The organizer announces the exact date and location of the competition in an adequate time in advance (recommended time is 5 to 6 months). He/she is required to provide adequate tank space for the competition. Recommended dimensions of the aquarium are: at least 30 x 40 x 40 cm (48 liters) and at most 40 x 60 x 55 cm (131 liters). The choice of the tank size in the range of the above mentioned dimensions depends on the organizer; however, all tanks used for the competition must have the same size.
Each tank should be properly lit but it should not be excessively illuminated. The lighting must not misrepresent colors and patterns of the competing fish and must not stress the fish due to its intensity. Background, bottom and at least one side of the tank has to be monochrome and made of matte and dark material – optimal color choices are dark shades of green, blue, brown but also black or dark grey.
The tanks used for competition have to be covered (to prevent the possibility of fish jumping out) and must have a filter and a thermometer. If the temperature in the room doesn’t meet the requirements the tank has to be equipped with at least a semiautomatic heater of corresponding wattage. All electric appliances have to be fully in accordance with regulations of the country where the competition is organized.
Water in the tanks used for the competition should comply with appropriate parameters optimal for the show fish. It should have more or less parameters of tap water and be in the scope of standards for potable water. It is also required to provide temperature in the range of 26 through 29 °C , pH between 6-7 and conductivity of 200 to 500 S. The organizer should fill the tanks with water at least 24 hours prior to the entry of the first show fish and he/she should use suitable bacterial culture containing nitrification bacteria in order to prevent cloudiness due to presence of high quantity of infusorians.
Apart from the above mentioned technical equipment, it is recommended but not required to equip the tank with at least one plant, planted in a portable gravel bed placed at the bottom of the tank. The plant should be long enough, so the tips of its leaves would reach at least to 2-3 cm below the water surface (suitable are certain species of wide leaved plants from the genus Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne and so on). In case of long leaved plants of the genus Valisneria, the length of the leaves should be such that the tips or parts of the tips would cover the surface. Because the competition is restricted in terms of time and space, it is usually completed within one day, it is not expected that the plant would have any biological or other effect. In this case, the plant would be there just to improve esthetical appearance and calm down the competing fish. For those reasons, it is permissible to use plastic plants of corresponding size and shape. Some experienced organizers of competitions absolutely require the use of plastic plants as a result of their previous practical experience.
Every tank used for the competition has to be legibly labeled with a rank number and after releasing the competing fish in the tank also with a code of a particular category to which the fish belongs. After the results are determined, each tank has to be labeled with an understandable and well visible legend, which would contain the tank number, the correct name of the fish and its category, the name and the country of origin or the name of the organization of the exhibitor, the number of points in the particular category, the overall number of points and the rank of the fish (see example).
The Organizer is responsible for releasing fish into the tanks used for competition of fish that he/she was requested to make the last stage of transport (if it is not otherwise arranged with the exhibitor). The organizer will state in the proposals of the competition the place and time of the personal delivery of fish by exhibitors or the final station and time of particular train connection or of other public transportation. The organizer will provide an appropriate transportation of exhibited fish from final stations of designated carriers. The organizer will appoint a skilled individual, who will be allowed to: take care of the exhibited fish, check their health status, collect possible dead fish, preserve them by freezing and properly store and document this in a protocol, unless it is arranged with the owner of the fish otherwise or if it is not otherwise stated in the proposal of the competition. The organizer can perform this role by himself/ herself. It is necessary to follow the highest hygienic measures when performing maintenance of the tank, the tools used for maintenance have to be disinfected after each use.
The competing fish should be moved to the tanks used for competition at least 24 hours prior to the judging, if it is possible to extend this period by 24 hours, it would be the most optimal time for adjustment of the fish to the new environment, calming down after the transport and recovery of the natural colors of the fish. The organizer has to ensure that the environment of the tank is not altered by any means after releasing the exhibited fish in the tank. Fish will not be fed during the course of the competition and will be passed to the organizer after the end of the competition, unless otherwise arranged with the exhibitor. Here, it fully depends on the mutual agreement between the exhibitor and the organizer. The organizer has the right, in case of surplus of prepared tanks in contrast to the number of exhibits, to leave the tanks empty or fill them with non-competing fish. These tanks have to be visibly labeled so it would be clear that they do not contain competing fish.
The organizer is also responsible that the members of the jury are not disturbed while judging and is obliged to provide a sufficient number of judging forms for all members of the jury and all required equipment necessary for judging. The organizer is required to ensure that the competing fish would have appropriate rest during the judgment and would not be stressed by visitors (this also holds true for taking photos with a flash). The organizer has to ensure absolute anonymity of the relationship of the exhibitors to the exhibits until the end of the competition.
The organizer also provides a person (possible a team, with one individual assigned to be a leader of the processing team, who will be responsible for this process), who will be responsible for the administrative part of the competition, i.e. processing the results of the competition and creating a list of competition results and diplomas. The processor of the results must not to be influenced or disturbed during his/her activity. The processor of the results collects all judging forms and while judging a particular fish crosses the best and the worst score, in order to ensure the highest objectivity of the results. In each exhibit, the highest and the lowest score will be crossed during counting. Only the final average score from all judges will be stated for each exhibit on the list of competition results designated for the public.
The trophy competition will be awarded to winners of each eight competition categories and to the overall winner of the competition – Best in Show (based on the highest score). All the exhibits will be awarded diplomas, on which except of basic and date information regarding the competition will be also stated the name of the exhibitor, and the name and the category of the competing fish and its rank in the particular category. In the case that some category is not occupied by at least 3 competitors or assortments, the first place in this category will not be awarded. If there is by chance in any of the first 3 places an identical score, the final rank of the exhibits with the same score will be decided by considering the previously crossed “marginal” scores.
The organizer of the competition has the right to, except of the previously stated basic awards, announce within his/her limits additional special competition awards, such as – People Choice and Sponsor Choice Awards, etc. However, these awards do not have any value even in the case of primary competition and are not carried over to the basic evaluation of the competition.
Terms and conditions for competitors – exhibitors (breeders)
The exhibitor ensures transport of the exhibit to the designated place, i.e. either in person or he/she will ship the properly wrapped exhibits via public transportation and in such a way that they will arrive to the destination at the time stated by the organizer. Assortments delivered after the stated time do not have to be received and included into the evaluation. In case of personal delivery, the exhibitor is responsible for releasing the exhibits into the tanks designated for the competition.
The competing exhibits can be of two kinds: either single individuals or pairs. The fish should not be shorter than 5 cm (length of the body from the mouth to the caudal peduncle) and yet the exhibitor has to expect penalty in the section “size and proportion of body”. It is the duty of each exhibitor to judge what the chances of their exhibits in the competition are. It doesn’t make sense to enter in the competition fish with any kind of deformity of the body, gill covers, cloudy eyes or visible torn fins.
Fish with apparent signs (color of excrements) of artificial coloration caused by feeding food containing astaxantin or fish with trimmed fins can be after agreement of the judging team excluded from the competition. A similar situation can also occur if the enrolled fish is too small (see previous paragraph) or sick. The risk related with transportation until the moment of inspection after receiving the fish by the organizer or by him/her deputed person carries the exhibitor.
Terms and conditions for the judges
The team of judges: The team of judges (jury) is appointed by the organizer of the competition. The jury has to have at least five and at most nine members; one of them is assigned chair judge and can also be the president of the competition. The organizer appoints the president of the competition unless it is himself/herself. In the case of an international attendance, it is appropriate that at least 1/3 of the jury have citizenship from countries, whose breeders are taking part in the competition. Active attendance of the citizen of a foreign country in the jury is permitted even in the scope of local competition run only at a national level.
The organizer should select from possible experts in the field a president of the jury. The jury is chosen by the organizer and the president of the competition or possible only by the president and this is done ahead of time, at least one month before the competition, so that all nominated members would have enough time to become familiar with the proposal and standards for judging fish. The nominated judges should be first of all experts who have theoretical and if possible also practical experience with representatives of the genus Pterophyllum.
It is necessary to carry out ahead of time a meeting, where all criteria and procedures arising from their duty are arranged. In the scope of the meeting, new judges can be trained. All members of the jury should afterwards jointly study individual exhibits, check whether condition and appearance of the exhibits agrees with norms of the competition and thoroughly check correctness of labels that assign exhibits into categories. The judges should also pledge that their judgment will not be influenced by any possible impulses from outside, or from individuals outside of the jury and that their evaluation will not be provided for anybody to see.
Further, the jury should strictly follow given rules for judging individual exhibits, which are given by the proposals and competition standards. Because it is expected, that a new attractive form can appear in the competition, it is necessary that the judge can free himself/ herself from any emotions and can judge the novelty without a bias and give it a score that will be in accordance with score given to the other exhibits. The judges should take into account possible minor damages caused unambiguously during transport (little abrasions or scratches, slightly mechanically damaged fins).
Immediately after the judging is completed, the judges hand in the judging form to the processor or the competition results. In accordance with a possible agreement, the judge can also hand in the judging forms continuously. The decision of the jury regarding the score of exhibits and assortments or their possible disqualification is final and cannot be abjured. The paper work of judges is secret and has to be destroyed 6 months from the release of the list of competition results.
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2. Categories
I. Wild Forms
Into the category of wild forms belong not only fish caught in the wild but also fish of pure natural lines originating from breeding in captivity.
Justification: Every breeder, who wants to show his exhibits has to make sure that his fish will look at its best. Frayed or deformed or shortened fins due to handing of the fish when the fish is collected in the nature is not an argument because any serious breeder will not send fish to a competition in such a short time so that the fins would not have enough time to heal and regenerate. Therefore, there is no reason to divide wild caught fish and fish bred in captivity into two different categories. In controversial cases of P. scalare – f. Four-striped that went through many years of domestication and in which is clearly apparent that the previous generations were bred in captivity, it is fully up to the jury to decide whether such fish belongs to the category of Wild Forms or Breeder Forms. In the nomenclature of individuals of the category I., it is on purpose omitted the term “species”, because due to the newest research in the field of validations of species and possible future interpretations after future review of the genus, the term “type” is selected instead!
I/A type altum
I/B type leopoldi
I/C type scalare
I/D type other wild species – “undescribed – to date systematically unassigned species”
- Pterophyllum altum
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- Pterophyllum leopoldi
- Pt. leopoldi JPG.jpg (55.34 KB) Zobrazeno 3639 krát
- Pterophyllum scalare
- Pt. scalare JPG.jpg (46.76 KB) Zobrazeno 3665 krát
- Pterophyllum sp. "Nanay"
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II. Breeder forms P. scalare
Short finned with either narrow or wide fins without further shape mutations
II/E fish without a pattern with broadly organized colors, the fish are either mono-colored or with differently broadly colored patches of the body. In this category belong groups: 2. – Mono-colored, 3. Ghosts and 9. Gold, In “Gold – lutino”, despite it doesn’t belong to the representatives of the category with a pattern, the pattern and the ratio and the markedness of red components is evaluated.
II/E fish with a pattern – as pattern is meant fish with dark bounded elements which are vertical bars, marbling, maps, spots and dots. this category belong groups: 1. Four-striped, 2. Mono-colored, 4. Bi-colored, 5. Blotted, 6. Marbled, 7. Spotted, and 9. Multi-stripped.
III. Breeder forms P. scalare
Long finned with pearlscale like skin.
III/f fish without a pattern with broadly organized colors, the fish are either mono-colored or with differently broadly colored patches of the body. Into this category belong fish with veil (long) fins and pearlscale skin or short fins and pearlscale skin. The representatives of this category are from groups: 2. Mono-colored, 3. Ghosts and 9. Gold, In “Gold – lutino”, despite it doesn’t belong to the representatives of the category with a pattern, the pattern and the ratio and the markedness of red components is evaluated.
III/H fish with a pattern – as pattern is meant fish with dark bounded elements which are vertical bars, marbling, maps, spots and dots. Into this category belong fish with veil (long) fins and pearlscale skin. The representatives of this category are from groups: 1. Four-striped, 2. Mono-colored, 4. Bi-colored, 5. Blotted, 6. Marbled, 7. Spotted, and 9. Multi-stripped.
In summary, there are eight basic categories, which are firmly defined and individual representatives of each form are easily classifiable.
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2. System of evaluation
Size of the body
Despite the fact that in fish of the genus Pterophyllum is officially declared that the species altum grows in body size up to 25 cm and the species leopoldi and scalare up to 15 cm (the stated measurement is the length of the body from the mouth to the caudal peduncle, without fins), it is necessary to consider body size that corresponds to the generally observed size and not to extreme cases. Adult individuals commonly held in optimal conditions grow in P. altum on average up to 13-15 cm and are also presented this way, similarly to P. leopoldi and scalare – males are between 7-10 cm, females are little bit smaller. Above mentioned measurements correspond to the usual size of competing exhibits, length of un-paired fins and pelvic fins depends on shape form. The judge has to evaluate the length of the body in cm as described above.
- Tab: Size of body
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Shape and harmony of the body
The body of the shown exhibit should be maximally symmetrical in the conformation of the body specific to the particular species. In males, an evident lipid hump is visible starting from the time of maturation. The lipid hump can also occur in older fully grown females of P. scalare and this phenomenon is not in any instance evaluated as a defect. In this category of evaluation, it is necessary that the judges take into account the whole conformation of the body including fins accordingly to the ideal of each species (see drawings). It is also necessary to note the location (beginning and end) of dominant un-paired fins and the axis of the caudal peduncle.
Nose has to have a clean line, without any scratches or spots with fungus. The curvature of the forehead, in particular in P. altum, has to agree with given criteria of natural appearance of these fish (see drawings). It also applies to some wild populations of P. scalare or described species of the genus Pterophyllum. When looking from the side, the shape of the body should follow, with the exception of “V” curvature of the nose, curves that protrude outwards only. The curves should not disturb the sideways outline of the body.
- P.scalare - ideal type of body
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Dorsal fin
The dorsal fin doesn’t have to be torn and the structure of soft membranous parts of the fins between fin rays doesn’t have to show perforation. Fish can have a visible space between first seven rays (specifically the space between the initial hard rays of the fin) number. The space between the seventh and tenth rays should reach at most to the middle of the length of individual rays. The space between the tenth and fourteenth rays should have a space with depth at most 3-5 mm (in fully developed individuals). The whole conformation of the dorsal fin has to look harmonically and has to have rounded line (in short-finned forms) from the imaginary tip towards the rear of the fin. On the other hand, in long-finned forms (veil forms), fish are allowed to have extended soft rays with long freely fluttering threadlike protuberances. Certain regularity in the length of individual rays (veils) should be present also in these forms. A distinct lace in the rear parts of the dorsal fin is a qualitative and esthetical trait that occurs in all forms.
- Dorsal fin
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Tail fin
Tail fin: The caudal peduncle has to give a straight impression. The axis of the body has to go exactly through the middle of the whole structure of hard rays of the tail fin. The transition from the body to the caudal peduncle has to be continuous and the last rays of the dorsal and anal fins should be symmetrically spaced from the caudal peduncle. The end of the caudal peduncle – the beginning of rays of the tail fin should be straight and should be perpendicular to the lateral line that ends in this part (resembles horizontal capital letter T). Tail fin fully spread open has to resemble (rays bifurcate approximately in one third of their length) an exact semicircle or fanlike semicircle with fine prominent rounded middle part of the fan. Third peripheral rays – respectively their outer parts are extended into threadlike protuberances that can be longer than the tail fin by itself. In short finned forms, the rear end of the tail fin has to be uniform slightly bent as an arch. In longed finned forms (veil forms), the extended rays with membranous spaces, usually ended with threadlike protuberances, have to look harmonically. It is also valid here, that a contrasting lace is a qualitative and esthetical trait.
- Tail fin
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Anal fin
The anterior part of anal fins forms are so called “muscle triangle”. First five hard rays of the anal fins form individual “leaves” of hard rays. Spaces reaching to the base of the fin can be present between the first five rays when fully spread open. The fifth ray is connected by a fin membrane with the front part of the fin at least by half of the length of the ray. External – the anterior part of the tenth hard ray changes at the pointed point of the fin into an independent extended fin ray. The anterior part can be as long as is the length of the fin from the abdominal part to the tip of the fin. The posterior part of the fin has a rounded shape and similarly to the dorsal fin, it forms a sigmoidally rounded area with clean lines. The best colored individuals of all breeder forms of angelfish carry a visible lace on the anal fin.
- Anal fin
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Pelvic fin
If we draw an imaginary vertical line (from the side view) beginning at the first ray of dorsal fin, going through gills, through the root of pectoral fins to the point, where this line intersects the outline of the abdomen, we would exactly get to the part, where the roots of the pelvic fins start. The first ray of the pelvic fin is only slightly curved backwards, it is more massive – it resembles a thorn and it is by its root connected to the muscular motoric system. This ray is short and forms the main support of the whole pelvic fin. The second ray is the main and longest ray and by force of it the whole fin is extended into a long noticeable lengthened fin ray that makes two thirds of the whole length. Beginning from the third ray, other rays shorten continuously and the posterior end of the fin has again a rounded shape. Pelvic fins should be up to the end of the third ray bent into a slight arch receding backwards. The extended threadlike part can slightly curl in the clean line but must not be broken. In shown exhibits, both pelvic fins should have the same length.
- Pelvic fins
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Surface of the body
The surface of the body of most of the exhibited fish in at the first sight smooth – one exception is horizontal folding , causing in some forms with glossy scales diamond (pearlscale) gloss. The surface of the body with maximally transparent scales should be solid, as if mat, without any wounds or scars. Both lateral lines are clearly visible on the side of the body. The upper one, resembling horizontal C, laying with its belly upwards, ends in the dark part of the third vertical bar, where underneath begins and continues to the caudal peduncle the lower lateral line. Some mat color forms with transparent scales have in abdominal parts areas with scales containing nacre – so called mirrors. It is a natural thing and it doesn’t have either a positive or negative influence on the evaluation.
Coloration of the body/ Pattern of the body
This part of evaluation contains two different kinds of evaluation that mingle in some points. Coloration of the body plays an important role in groups of mono-colored fish namely category II/E and III/G. For representatives of this group the richness and spreading of the coloration is important, but they don’t have to have too sharply defined transitions in the case of more colors, colored areas have to be as little as possible spotted but on the contrary it should be as much as possible compact. Transitions between individual colors hve to be therefore continuous, presence of differently colored mirrors ( that are usually silver or dark bronze red to brown) are tolerable in lighter abdominal parts. An exception is the form “gold –lutino” where a high number of sharp red dots and lines are an asset.
In fish not stated in the previous paragraph an asset as much as possible the contrast pattern of dark patterns that ranging from dark brown to explicitly black color.
All striped individuals, i.e. four-striped, multiple-striped and also bi-color, have to have stripes that are harmonic as much as possible, either uniformly thick or narrowing or widening in some parts. Bars do not have to be interrupted or split. The first vertical bar of the four-striped form or anterior bars of the multiple-striped form (at most three) can have a slight arch. The first stripe going through the eye has to have the largest arch. In bi-color forms, the dark part of their body should be clearly defined by a vertical line. The vertical line of the best individuals goes from lower to bottom parts of dorsal and anal fins. The tail fin should be at least very dark. If the vertical line between the light and dark part is behind or after the imaginary one third of the body, it is evaluated as esthetical imperfection. Imperfection is also presence of first vertical bar in the bi-colored form.
Some wild forms can have a variation in striation, which is necessary to take into account. For instance, it concerns fish taxonomically described as P. scalare – historically described as P. eimeke or P. sp. “Rio Nanay”, which have thin vertical bars and in some individuals the second and third dominant bar doesn’t reach the abdominal area. In many natural forms, the first three vertical bars often visibly narrow downwards to the abdominal part and often change color from very dark to light.
- Pict - Notation of some patterns of the body
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In breeder forms of P. scalare, groups 5. Blotted and 6. Marbled should have spots or marbling noticeably contrasting with the body surface. Blotted fish – leopards do not have to have noticeable striation but clear patches. The patches should have a rounded character; they can touch, but are not allowed to fuse into larger areas. The patches can be at their edges slightly “defocused”. Marbled angelfish can have marbling of both color characters. Light forms (with 50% of light surface of the body and more) can have variable amounts of fine marbling or just a few spots such as in some Koi angelfish. Dark forms have on the contrary white marbling and it is up to 5-10% of white on a black surface.
Group 7. Spotted is a group of breeder forms P. scalare, whose sides are decorated by spots or maps(Mapped and California form), where the amount of dark mapped spots or surface from the tail often up to three quarter of the sides of the body. Mapping doesn’t have to be dark but rather silverfish dark grey or dark brown. Sides of some fish from this group are sometimes peppered with tiny dark red to brown dots (b. California and c. Jaguar), similarly as it is in some wild populations.
Fish of all previously mentioned forms and species can have a aso called additional coloration, which is often a significant esthetical phenomenon. It is a multi-colored forehead (from brightly yellow through orange and red up to golden brown with green and blue or multi-colored gloss of nacre of scales of this part of the body), in some forms of both breeder forms of P. scalare and wild species . In numerous breeder and wild forms, such permanent coloration is a direct governing trait of a particular form.
Wild species and forms of the genus Pterophyllum often have similar spotting as was stated in the paragraph describing 7. Blotted. Some species and forms have on their side also larger pink up to brightly red spots and patches that are typical for these forms (for instance known forms of P. scalare – “Red Spotted I” , Red Spotted II” and P. sp. “Rio Nanay”, and others).
Eye/gills +gill cover
The eye of the fish of the genus Pterophyllum should be rounded, clean and bright without any opacity. Eyes should be symmetrically placed and harmonically embedded into the relief of the head. Eyes are not allowed to be sunken in on one side and protruding on the other side. In adult fish of the species P. scalare, the sice of the eye ranges from 5-8 mm. Eyes of P. scalare are brightly red usually on the majority of the surface, however, at least on half of the surface. Adult fish of the species P. leopoldi have eyes that are brightly yellow to ochre orange-brown. The same ratio as in P. scalare is valid for the coloration of the eye. Fish of the species P. altum have eyes that are colored as if reflective silver-gray to brown. The eye can have one or two big raspberry dark red spots but at most in two thirds of the eye.
Gills. Fish can have a typical gill cover with a content of nacre pigment or can be transparent to almost transparent (“Red Wedge”) and in that case red gills are visible. It is required that both gill covers have the same character. Gills covers are not allowed to be deformed or be missing, stick out, be damaged, not fully grown up, or going beyond the root of the pelvic fins.
Fitness
Fitness evaluation is a subjective appraisal of each judge. Each judge should be sufficiently instructed in ideal of specific forms and he/she should have at least the basic knowledge of representatives of the genus and its forms and also be able to judge qualitative traits and contours. During evaluation, behavior of the individual or group of individuals is taken into account – gracefulness of motion in accordance to its physique. Fish have to appear healthy and not clumsy.
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